George westinghouse



tanned ,staat .new aan.

team Patent No.106,s99, aan' August 3o, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAMfENGINE AND PUMP.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patenta'nd making part of thename.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEoRGnWnsTINGHoUsE, J r., of the city of Pittsburg,in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a newand useful Improvement in Steam-Engine and Pump; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof',reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in two sheets, making apart of this speclcat-ion, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved engine aud air-pump; y

Figure 2 is asectional elevation, as formed hy a vertical plane passingthrough the main steam and airpassages, a little back ot' thepiston-stem;

Figure 3 is an enlarged (inverted) view of the main steam-valve, stem,and valves;

Figure 4 is a cross-section in the line x x, fig. 1;

Figure 5, sheet 2, shows a vertical section of the auxiliary cylinder,an outside view of which is contained in gs. 1 and 6, said section beingtaken in the line :c x, fig. 6.

Figure 6, sheet 2, is an enlarged view in perspective of the main andauxiliary cylinders and their conue'ctions;

Figure 7, sheet 1, is an end view of the main cylinder-head A, justunder the auxiliary engine, and

showing the arrangement of ports for admitting/'stema To4 and from theauxiliary engine, by means of a valve and stem, of which latter- Figure8 is a side elevation,.and Figure 9 is a View of the lower face. Figure10, sheet 2, is an end view of the 'steam-piston-head, showingthe slotthrough which the pistoustem of iig. S operates and Figure 11 is auelevation of the mainsteam and air-- pistons, and of the stem whichconnects them.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My present improvement relates Y more particularly to steam-engines andair-pumps for operating atmospheric power car-brakes, such as aredescribed in Letters Patent granted to nie April 13, 1869 ;l but thedevices presently to be described are, many or all of them, applicableto other uses, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of improveddevices for operating steam-engines and air-pumps.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and mode of operation, withmore particular reference to its use in connection with atmosphericsteam-power car-brakes.

The main steam-cylinder A and air-pump barrel B are bored out each withthe usual cylindrical cavity.

In the former I arrange a steam piston-head, A,

g, 11, and in the latterapumping-piston or plunger, B, both suitablypacked.

The head A1 and plunger Bl are connected by a stem, A2, in such a waythat at any part of the stroke they shall occupy corresponding positionsin their respective cylinders.

The stem Az is square in cross-section, or of other than circular shape,so that, by passing through `a stuting-nut of like shape, it, as well asthe head `Al and plunger B1, with which it is rigidly connected, will beprevented from turning around.

Between the cylinders AB is a stuing-box, O,figs. 1 and 4, through whichplays the stem A. This box is mortised through ltransversely at or nearits middle part, and a pair ot" stnfling-nuts, c c, with suitablepacking, inclose the stem A2, the packing faces of the nuts being shapedto fit the stem. The nuts c c fit neatly into the nlortise of the box O.

The outer cnds'of thenuts areT-shaped, so that the projecting ends c ofthe T-heads shall project up and down beyond or outside of the mortise.

A pair of screw-bolts, c2 c2, are then passed through Y the ends c1 ofthe T-heads, so asto give the nuts c a `suiiciently secure hold on thestem A. At the same time I so proportion the several parts that the nutsc, when screwed up, shall have a little lateral play, that is, thedistance between the opposite ends cl shall be a little in excess of thethickness of the box G, as shown. I thus prevent any excess of pressureand loss by friction thereby on either side ofthe stem A. Thestuffing-nut c c adapts itself to the pressure, and constitutes aseliladjusting packing.

' The steau1-chest D has a port, d, for the admission of steam from theboiler. This chest has acavity, d, which connects the valve-seats andports at its oppositeends. These valve-seats a, at the ends, are boredout with a slight taper, as shown.

Around each valve-seat is bored out an annular cavity, cl2. Through theopposite sides of each valveseats a are two steam-ports, al al, whichlead from the cavity of the steam-chest d into the annular cavity d2,and thence steam passes into the cylinder through ports a?. The valves eare of conical form, and. operate by a rotary motion closely in theirvalve-seats a. They are rotated by a stem, es, which, at one end,projects through a stuing-nut, e", and packing, and onitsend is a crank,e, through which the rotary motion is 'imparted,.as presently to beexplained.

In the faces of each of these valves c is a series of recesses, el,which alternate with another series, e, one series, el, opening at oneend of the valve, and the other series, e, at the other. One of theseseries, e,

is for the supply of steam from the chest d1, throughV the ports al a2to the cylinder A, and the other,e, for

the exhausting steam from the cylinderA through the same ports intosteam-passages d3, which lead through the cylinder-heads A'1 A* to theexhaust D on the opposite side of the cylinder A, whence the steampasses oti' through an-eXhaust-port, d4.

The valves e are carefully and accurately adjusted n their seats a by`means `pt` set-screws ll l, the one, ll, passing directly through thecylinder-head A4, figs. l and 2, and the other, l, being supported by anarm, l, and post l, figs. 1 and 6. The inner ends of the set-screws l lbearagainst the ends of the valve-stem c", so that by loosening one andtightening the other, the valves e can he adjusted in their seatsreadily and with accuracy.

In order to impart thc desired rotary motion tothe val es e, I use anauxiliary steam-cylinder, E, which is 'tted with a piston,`E1, and stemE2. To furnish this cylinder E with steam, I run a. steam-port, c, g. 7,from the steam-chest D, through the bodyv of the cylinder A, through itsouter head A3, and terminate it in the port c, on the outer faceot' thehead A.

On the opposite side ofthe ports care two ports cl, each of whichcommunicates by a steam-passage, c?, lending through the head A3, thenceupward through the cylinder base E, tig. 5, into the cylinder E, one ator near each end, so as to admit steam on opposite sides of the pistonE. l

To open and close the ports c c, I use a rotating disk-valve. g, figs. 8and 9,` which has a stem, g, Hat, or of other than circular shape incross-section, and twisted, as in iig. 8. This valve g operatesinachamber, h,g. 5, in the lower face of the cylinder base E3.-

The stem g extends through an opening, g, in the cylinder-head A, fig.7, which openingis merely large enough to permit ot' its rotating, andthence through a slit, g2, in the end of the piston A1, fig. 10, inwhich slitit operates closely, so that as the piston moves up and down,the twists of the stem g1 following the slit shall give a slight rotarymotion tothe valve g. These twists should be at only two points, and atsuch points as will beucted'on at or near the end ot' each stroke of thepiston A. 'Below the slit qz the piston-head AI and stem A2 should behollow or chambered outto a depth at least equal tothe length of thestem.

In the edge of the llower face of the.valve g, right over the ports c cis a notch, t, of suilcient extent to uncover two of the ports c cl atonce, that is, the middle port c, and alternately one of the side ports'c1. Then, as the pistou A1 moves up and down, it rotates the valve g,uncovers the ports cl alternately, so that steam passes from'thesteam-chest D, through the ports c2 c c alternately into the cylinder'E, on `opposides of the piston El.

' The stem E2 of this piston is attached by aneye, e, to the crank e5 onthe end ofthe valve-stem e, sothat as the former moves back and forth,the latter will receive a short rotary motion, to open and closealternately the ports a, which lead by recesses ,el c2, in the valves ee from'the steam-chest D to the cylinder A, as already explained.

The eye eismade oblong, as shown in fig. 6, Vsothat "it mayshift thecrank e5, when the latter passes outside the line of mot-ion of the stemE2. To exhaust the steam from the cylinder E, I use theports cl clalternately as exhaust-ports. When either is cut olf byv the valve gfrom communication with the supplyport c, it opens into a groove, il, inthe lower face of the disk g, which groove is always infcommunicationwith a port, c, fig. 7, which leads through the head A to the mainexhaust d3. This exhaust c" is' made comparatively small, so that thesteam shall escape slowly, and thereby/.cushion the piston El.

It will be observed that the stroke required in the piston-head' El isexceedingly short, in fact, barely low enough to turn the stein c3 andvalves e sufficiently t0 cover and uncover the ports al. I makethe headlll light, so that it may have but small momentum, and I also secure forit a short stroke, by running an adas soon as the piston-head El haspassed such port either way, the steam behind it is exhausted sofreelythat the head E has nothing to carry it further, except its momentum,and even this', little as it is, is taken up by the cushioning steam infront.

the steam-chest D, along the recesses eL of one of the valves throughthe ports al, along the annular passage d2, to the front ofthe mainpiston A1, giving a'throw or starting it on a stroke. lAtrthe same timethe exhaust-recesses e2 of the other valve coincide with the ports al ofthat yalve-seat, sol that the steam in front of the piston passes outinto the exhaust.

The stroke of the pist-on .Al gives a. throw to the valve g, opens theports for the passage of steam to the cylinder E, and it, by its pistonEl and stem E, rotates the main valve-stem e, so as to shift therecesses e* e2 of the main valve e, whereby steam is admitted 'ontothefother side of thel main piston A1, and exhausted where before it wassupplied and so on alternately and continuously.

In this-way I communicate motion to the plunger Bl of the pump-barrel B.This pump I use as an air,- pnmp to compress the air, so as to make itoperative by its elasticity in the application of car-brakes, or forother uses. The pump is designed for use in an upright position, asshown in tig. 1.

Along one side ot' it is an air-chamber, B, into which air is suppliedthrough any suitable port b.

through which, and out at a port, b, .the air is forced seat, onto whichit falls by its own weight.

Directly above this, in the chamber u, orin a valvebox, 1d, adjusted insuch chamber, is a like valve, c* with stein s* operating in a similarmanner.

The port m comes between these two valves.

In the lower end of the chamber B, or rather in s, falling by its owngravity onto a seat, and directly labove it, resting on a seat iu thelower eiid of the chamber B, is a'likevalve, v3 and stein s3.

A little above this valve c is a stop, w, to keep the valve frombeingdriven too far from its seat.l The port ml comes between these twovalves.

It will be. observed that all the valves described are seated by theirownvweight, and' remain seated, except when raised. bythe incoming oroutiiowing air.

The operation is, then, as follows:

,With the downwardl stroke of the plunger B1 .the air is forced out atthe port ml. Its pressure, in esbaiting, raises the' valve c, throughwhich it passes, and thence alongthe chamber B, and out at the port b.At 'the same time, to supply what would otherwise be a vacuum above theplunger, the air enters at the supply-port J1, rises and passes throughthe valve c, and into the cylinder through the port m. With .theupwardstrokc'of the cylinder, the air above the pist-n Bl passes out at theport m, lifts and passes through the valve cl, follows the chambers'ab2u B3 to the port b1, whence a pipe conducts it to the reservoir.

To furnish a new supply of air beneath the pistou,

ditional exhaust port, o, iigs. 5 and 7,l rom near the middle ofthecylinder E to the main exhaust d. Then It will now be observed thatthe steam passes from I .On the opposite side is a like.'1irchamber,l3,`

through pipes to the reservoir, or direct to the brakesuch valve beingsuch as to guide the valve to its the chamber yu,i,s a similarpoppet-valve, v2, W'ith stem the air rushes in at the supply-port b,follows the chambers B2 ul. b3 u, lifts the valve c2, and enters at theport ml, and so the operation goes on continuously.

In many of the features described I do not desire to limit myself to theexact construction set forth.` The valves e may be made cylindrical,instead of conical, and the seats shaped accordingly.' Also, 'the sameresult may be accomplished, though less advantageously, with a singlepair of recesses, cl e", on each valve, and a single port, al, as withtwo or more pairs oi'such recesses and a corresponding number of ports;but by the use of a double set of recesses, el e2, the two ports al ineach valve e, and the annular chamber d2, surrounding each valve-seat, Iprovide for a more perfect balancing of the valves; also, in theconstruction of a valve ,for opening and closing the ports c c of theengine E, and in operating the same by means of a hollow piston-head andstem, I do not limit myself to the disk-valve g and twisted stern g,described. A slid-y ing valve ot' short throw might be made to do thesame work by means of the valve-stem entering the hollow of thepiston-head and stem, the two being so constructed that at any desiredpart of the stroke of the piston-head A, it shall engage some fixedpointA in or part of the valve-stein; hence, in this connection, Iclaim, broadly, a piston-head and stem, made hollow, for the insertionof a valve-stem, which latter is to be actuated thereby. y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.v A pair of rocking-valves, e e, on a common stem, each valve havingtwo or more recesses, el e2, such recesses alternating with each other,and opening on oppositeV directions'on the same valve, substantially asand for the purposes described.

2. A valve-seat, a, having ports al, which open into an annularsteam-passage, de, in combination -with the valve c of the previousclaim. 5

3. A piston-head and stem, made hollow for the insertiontherein of avalve-stem, which latter is to be actuated thereinand thereby,substantially as described.

4. A steam-valve, g, having a stem, g1, twisted at such points, head andstem, it shall, by the motion of such head and stem, be rotatedorirocked, substantially as described.

5. A groove, t", in the lower face of the disk-valve y; in combinationwith the ports c, c1, and c, arranged substantially as described. j;y 6.A central auxiliary exhaust, arranged at or yneary the middle of thatpart of a steam cylinder through which the piston-head operates, for thepurpose of arresting the stroke of the piston-head, substantially as setforth.

7 A studing-nnt, o c, formed in two or more parts, so constructedtogether and arranged with reference te the stnfng-box as automaticallyto bear with equal pressure'on the opposite sides of the stem,substantially as described. n

8. rllhe subject-matter of the last claim in combination with apiston-stem, A, of other than cylindrical form. l

9. The-air-inlet fines B2 b3 and air-outlet ues WB, in connection withthe air-ports m m and valves o c* v2 c3, arranged substantially asdescribed.

l0. In combination with the valve-stem e3 and valves e, the adjustingset-screws Z P, arranged substantially as described.

11. The arrangement of the auxiliary steam-cylinder E, with its axialline at right angles to the axial line ofthe-main cylinder,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, 1', the said GEORGE Wns'r- INGHoUsE, Jr., havehereunto set my hand.

GEORGE WES'IINGHOUSE, Jn.

Witnesses: A. S. NICHOLSON,

THos. B. KERR.

that entering a slit in a hollow piston-

